If any team out there wanted to carry on about lofty playoff goals, the Lakers have earned the right to do so. Not only are the two-time defending champs afforded such liberties here at the hideout, they’re playing as well as any team in basketball since the All-Star break.

Per the Los Angeles Times, their 15-1 record after the All-Star break made them only the fifth team to produce that mark since the All-Star game was introduced in 1951. Three of the four teams to do so — Detroit (1989-90), Chicago (1990-91) and the Lakers (1999-2000) — went on to win the NBA championship.

Once again, if the Lakers want to set their sights on the Spurs and that top spot in the league and the Western Conference, we’re fine with it.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson doesn’t sound like a man interested in playing that game. He only wants to talk about the what his team can control. More from my main man Broderick Turner of the LA Times:

“Without a doubt, you would always want to go for that,” Jackson said. “But right now, our sights are Dallas and Thursday night’s game.”

The Lakers (53-20) are 3 1/2 games behind the Spurs for the best record in the NBA and tied with the Chicago Bulls for the second-best record in the league.

San Antonio, which has lost four consecutive games, has eight regular-season games left. The Lakers, who host the Spurs on April 12, have nine games left.

It would take a collapse by the Spurs for the Lakers to overtake San Antonio.

“It’s still a real longshot for that,” Jackson said. “They only have to win a couple of games here and we have to go perfect. So it’s real difficult to see that. But we still play it out. It’s still what we do.”

it will be a dog fight for either team on thursday, mainwhile u’r right that the lakers are not the same team that they wer 2 months before.. but u must consider the fact that the mavericks playing a ton of injuries throughout the season.. but still, they managed to keep pace into that second seed out west.. whoever said that bynum is much better than chandler both offensively and deffensively is a freak and don’t know anything about bball.. the source have said that they’re considering TC to be 1 of the candidate for the most improved player this season.. bynum is not a consistent player his a type of player that pours 20 points in a given night and then score 2 points the next game.. if butler will comeback in the post season, there’s no way the fakers can beat them, without cheating.. kobe is very overrated player. nuff said..

thats why DNOWITZKI are unhappy having won 50 games for 11 season because during elimination they are always eliminated (he does’tn have RINGS YET)..these season i thinhk during 2nd round elimination they will face lakers IF THEY SURVIVE THE FIRST ROUND againts PORTLAND

I am a lifetime laker fan, love the way they have been playing after the all star break but we will know nothing until the playoffs start. The Mavericks and Spurs are both tough teams and they are going to give whoever they play a run for there money. Oklahoma deserves an upset chance also. Most likely we have not seen how good the Miami Heat are. They will have a completly different level of urgency once the playoffs start.Over the last few seasons we saw teams going on long winning streaks only to get knocked out in the playoffs. We as laker fans are spoiled and we expect sucess.
How can a great cith that gives us the Buss family also give us the Dodgers and the battling McCOURTS. THE SEWER RATS FROM BOSTON.

It’s funny that my three favorite western teams are duking it out to the very last. I’ll bet on the Lakers any day, though. Lakers can’t loose to Mavs, Spurs, or Thunder this year in the playoffs. I smell three-peat!

The Mavs need to play the full 48 minutes, to beat the Lakers, no possessions off. It’s going to be a great game, that I am excited to watch. I believe the winner of this game may ride this momentum and win-out the rest of the regular season.

It is far more important for the Mavs to get the 2 seed, or with a complete spurs breakdown the number 1 seed. They have had many issues in the playoffs, sicne the collapse in the finals to the Heat. That being said, this is a new team ,with great depth. They are easily ten deep, with the best overall bench in the league.

People are quick to forget that the Mavs are without argueably their second best player, Caron Butler. He adds toughness, and won’t back down from Kobe. Hopefully Butler can make it back healthy, without disrupting the rotation, and have a positive impact in this years playoffs. Wouldn’t it be nice to see Jason Kidd raise the Larry Obrien trophy over his head. He has been to the finals twice before, that being in a weaker Eastern Conference at the time. This Mavs team is a much better than the Nets were back in 2002-03. Kidd is obviouslty not the same player as he was back then, but he can still lead this team very well, feeding the best 7 foot shooter of all-time.

@cbreezy, spurs can’t beat lakers? they’ve done it before, same core big 3, same coach. Spurs are everything mavs aren’t, they win when healthy. Spurs have yet to show the inside out offense of the past decade, this hosting up 3’s is all for the reg season, tim is not done yet, you’ll see.

I’m a non biased NBA fan. It’s funny to hear Laker, Maverick, and Spurs fan jaw about how their team will win. Guess what? The Mavericks are soft, with no big game pedigree. They can’t beat L.A. with the home court, let alone trying to go into The Staples Center and win it, and have Spurs fan noticed how L.A. is never worried about them? San Antonio can’t beat L.A. either. The only team that The Lakers were really worried about were the Celtics with Perkins in the middle, and now that he’s gone….Guess what else? The Lakers win the West and anothe NBA Championship. Too much size, too much length, too much experience, and too much Kobe Bryant.

I believe it’s going to be a HARD fought game in LA,,,ultimately won by the Lakers. You just can’t deny the way LA has played since the All-Star Break. And I’m saying it now, the Western Conference 1 seed will be determined after that game vs. San Antonio at the end of the season.

@ prix chandler can do nothin against pau gasol or even andrew byum the lakers a a new team everyone is focus now ron artest is playin like he did in the playoffs andrew bynum is doing alot better then he done this whole yr lakers will take number 1 in the confernce and also the nba championship!

everybody is expecting L.A to be in the finals and win the championship but they are not aware that they will face either the Blazers and OKC and Tim if he will be back in the Spurs…I dont think they will reach the finals this year against the BULLs or HEAT…maybe in the West finals but they will fall short…there’s a lot of beast in the west…

Lakers r going to win definitely.. and they’re gonna overtake that first spot in the west because the big three of san antonio r all injured.. they lose three more games and its the lakers to take.. the Lakers r gonna go perfect for the rest of the season. LAKESHOW !!!!!!

Hey prix, take note the Lakers is not the same team that you watch last 2 months ago. You talk about Chandler? How he can match up to Andrew Bynum? Bynum is far better offensively and defensively than Chandler, just take note on the game against mavericks on dallas’ homecourt, Andrew Bynum dominating Chandler, What can you say about that?

I cant wait watching that…it would be one hell of the game…I still have a great feeling that Dallas will win againts L.A. now that Chandler brings defense…Mavs is not the same team anymore and L.A, hope they will play true physical defense not with flops and complains…that will bring excitement to the game surely…